China. The situation of the brewing industry is not optimistic

2015 proved to be unfavorable for the brewing industry of China. The growth rate not only stopped, but also showed an unprecedented decline over the past 24 years.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in January-October 2015 domestic breweries have produced 41.97 million hectoliters of beer, which is 5.73% less than the same period last year. Global giant Carlsberg has closed a brewery in Chongqing in order to optimize the production and the company’s loss amounted to 4.4 billion yuan in the third quarter of 2015.

The situation in the industry does not inspire much optimism. The decline in sales has only emphasized the problem of overcapacity.

According to statistics, the annual beer consumption per capita in China reached 34.2 liters compared to the world average of 33 liters. Experts believe that Chinese breweries in the struggle for consumer should pay more attention to the study of consumer tastes and preferences and to improve product quality.